Cigar lighter



Aug. 2,1927. 1,637,855 l W. J. BUTLER CIGAR LIGHTER Filed Feb. 25, A192'7' ATTORNEYS.

" Patented Aug. 2, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT Aol-FICE WILLIAM J'. BUTLER, OFCRANSTON, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNR TO HENRY LEDBER i do BRO. INC., F PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, A CORPORATIQN 0F RHODE ISLAND. v y

cIeAI' LIGHTER.

` AApplication led February 23,1927. Serial No. 170,228.

' This invention relates to improvements in -av pocket cigar lighter of the pyrophoric type; and has for its object to provide such .a device with a more practical and eiiicient i construction of sparking mechanism than those heretofore constructed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a spark wheel and a different thumb wheel both in ya singleiunit and to secure this unit in operating position by a screw threaded trunnion, whereby the unit may be removed for cleaning purposes and readily replaced by a fresh one when the paired. v

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more vfully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims. f

, In the accompanying drawings:l

Figurev 1 is a perspective view of a cigar lighter with my improved sparking device mounted thereon.

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of the device through the sparking mechanism.

-Figure 3 is a fragmental portion of the reservoir sectioned through the wick tube. Figure 1 is a fragmental portion' of the reservoir showing the sparking mechanism,

also showing the extinguishing cap in section. e

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the sparking wheel and its separate operating thumbwheel.

Fi ure 6 shows the trunnion screw for the lgr--and--thumbE/wheels. p It Ais found in practice thatY in the manufacture of pocket cigar lighters -of the pyrophoric type, it is advantageous to construct the spark wheel and the thumb wheel in sleeve form as a single unit but substantially spaced from each other, as such a unit with both wheels may be made in a single operation and of minimum expense as a so-called screw machine product after being drilled the unitas a whole may be subjectedv to the 'required hardening operation. In assembling the arts this unit is securedin posi- 5' tion by a threaded trunnion which is screwed into the reservoir and which may be readily removed for the -purpose of removing the lunit to be rcleaned or to be exchanged for afresh one when the ribs of either the wheel engaging the pyrophoric material or those unit becomes worn and its eiiiciency im-.

on the thumb wheel become worn and inef-I fective., Then again, it is found that by spacing the thumb wheel a substantial distance from the spark wheel and 'forming the thumb wheel of a diameter substantially greater than that of the spark wheel, thethumb of the operator when engaging the .thumb wheel will be prevented from contacting with and soiling the spark wheel; and the following is a detailed description of the present embodiment of my invention and showing one means by which these advantageous results may be accomplished:

With reference to the drawings, 10 designates the fuel reservoir of the device which may be formed of any desired size and of any suitable material, the same being preferably constructed to contain a portion of absorbent material 11 saturated with an inflammable substance such as alcohol or the like and into which material a wick 12 extends through its supporting tube 13 which projects above the upper surface of the reservoir. Also, there is mounted on the upper wall 14 of this reservoir a tube 15 for re- 80 ceiving a pyrophoric material which is supported in a holder 16, the boss 17 of which is herein shown as being riveted at 18 in this upper plate 14.- At one endv of this tube is slidably mounted, the flint.19 or other suitable pyrophoric material which is pressed outwardly by a spring 20, the opposite end of the spring being arranged to abut against an end of the adjusting screw 21 whereby the working friction of the flint on its spark wheel may be adjusted. In order to strike aspark on the flint or pyrophoric materialand 'transfer it to the wick, I have provided a sparking unit which y comprises a sleeve ortubular member 21 95 having a verticallyI corrugated abrasive wheel 22 at its upper end, and a correspondingly corrugated thumb wheel 28 near its lower end, the latter wheel being'of a diameter substantially greater than that of the 10o abrasive wheel. These two wheels are separateda substantial distance from each other on the sleeve and as the thumb wheel is also much larger than the spark wheel the thumb u of the operator is prevented when engaging 105 the thumb wheel from coming in contact with the spark wheel and so prevent the spark wheel from becoming soiled and ineective by such contact, and prevent the linger from becoming injured by .contact 119 with the ,sharp teeth on the sparking wheel, andalso prevent abrasion of the thumb b the sharp cutting surface of the spark wheel. It. is also found of advantage to be a'ble to remove this sparking unit for cleaning pur-V poses and for replacing the same with fresh wheels when the effectiveness of the corrugations in either the thumb wheel or the spark wheel has become worn; and to accomplish this in a simple and effective-way, I have provided an enlargement 24; on the upper plate 14 having a threaded opening therein, and I have provided a Atrunnion or bearing member 25 which fits the bore of the sparking unit or sleeve and/1s screwed into the enlargement 24 by which' means the sparking ,unit is rotatably vsupported upon the reservoir, the lower wheel being in posi-tion to bc readily engaged by the thumb of the operator to rapidly rotate'the spark wheel through the sleeve and transfer a shower of sparks from the flint or pyrophoric element 19 to the wick 12.

In order to extinguish the flame from the Y wick, I have mounted a cup member 2G on the free end of the arm 27, which arm is pivoted at 28 inthe bifurcated post 29the pivoted portionl of this arm being flattened on three sides whereby it may be engaged by. the spring-pressed detent pin ,30 to be held either in its closed position, in its upright position or in its completely thrown back position all. as illustrated -in full and dotted lines in Figure 3.

By my improved construction of sparking unit the same may be formed with both the spark wheel 'and the thumb wheel of an inte'gral piece of metal in sleeve form, the 'two being connected together as a unit may be handled .as a single unit, the tempering, finishing and assembling operations and by being retained in position by .a removably threadedtrunnion this unit after having become worn and slightlfy ineffective may be readily replaced by.a resh unit which will renew the operating efficiency of the device. The foregoing description isf4 directed solely towards the construction' illustrated, but I desire it serve the privilege of resortin to all the mechanical lchanges to which t e device' is susceptible, the invention being` defined 'and limited only by the4 terms ofthe appended claims. 'l

Ielaim: v l. In a' cigar lighter, a fuel reservoir carto be understood that I re.

a Wick tube having a lwick therein, a i

2. Ina cigar lighter, a fuel reservoir carrying a wick tube with a wick therein, a' pyrophoric tube,` a pyrophoric friction wheel and thumb wheel in sleeve form, saidtwo wheels being spaced apart and operatively connected together to form a single unit having a trunnion receiving hole through it, an internally threaded enlargement carried by the reservoir, and. a trunnion member screw threaded at one end into said enlargement and on which said unit is rotatably mounted. v

3. In a. cigar lighter, a fuel reservoir carrying a. wick and wick tube, a pyrophoric tube, a pyrophoric friction wheel andv thumb wheel, said two wheels being spaced apart and formed of a single integral unit having a trunnion recivinghole through it, an internally threaded enlargement carried by the reservoir, and a trunnion member screw threaded at one end into saidenlargement and' on which 'said unit -is rotatably mounted 4 to be readily removed, said thumb wheel being of a diameter substantially greater than that of the spark wheel and `removed from the 4spark wheel a substantial distance to serve as a guard and prevent the operators thumb from contacting with the sparkl wheel. Y v

'4. In a cigar lighter, a fuel reservoir, a wick extending from said reservoir, a pyro'-l phoric tube, a trunnion extending from and supported at one end only by said reservoir`.y

a spark wheel and thumb wheel lying in parallel planes both connected to function together and mounted on said trunnion, pyrophoried n'iat'erialaii1 gY said tube Iand 'a spring pressing said pyrophoricfflnaterial intoV engagement with saidspark wheel whereby an igniting spark is carried from the pyrophoric material to the wick when the s ark wheel is operated by a l Arapid rotation o the thumb'wheel.

In testimony whereof Iaflixkmy signature. WILLIAM J. BUTLER..

above the reservoir and" 

